Recovery
by Melfina Lupin
Summary: Kankuro is left to care for Gaara after an operation when Lee comes to visit.


Recovery by Melfina Lupin

Pairings: Lee/Gaara

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

When Kankuro enters the kitchen he doesn't expect to see two Gaaras. He pauses in the doorway and scratches his head as twin pairs of sea green eyes turn to stare at him like he was the crazy one in the room.

"Good morning, Gaara...Gaara."

The far more grumpier Gaara at the table glares at him while the other, dressed in the white Kazekage robes, flashes him disturbing cheery smile. Kankuro wants to rub his eyes or pinch himself to make sure he isn't hallucinating. Then his sleep-numbed brain starts running normally and he remembers what the hell is going on.

"Temari, Gaara doesn't smile like that," he states, voice rough from disuse. "In fact, Gaara doesn't smile at all."

"I smile," the real Gaara puts in quietly, frowning as he crosses his arms. He could have been very intimidating had he not been wearing pajamas as well as an awful case of bed head. Even if he could smile, he certainly couldn't now with his swollen cheeks and mouth full of cotton balls.

"I know that," Temari says despite the fact that she was still smiling like someone on drugs. And since it is Gaara's smiling face, the effect is more weird than cute. "I wonder how many people I can freak you today."

"No! None of that," Gaara mutters. "Remember the plan."

"Yeah. Only a few people know about Gaara's operation and the transformation jutsu so _don't _screw this up," Kankuro warns as he dropped down into an empty chair. He has been up for the sum total of 5 minutes and already he wanted to go back to bed. Gaara looks the same way but more medicated. "You have to keep this up for a couple of days until Gaara recovers."

Temari rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know." She looks over at Gaara and smirks. "I can't wait to get to work and strike terror into those damned elders."

Gaara nods his head in approval, his frown disappearing for a second. "Good. That's the Temari I want. Act like you're PMSing all day long and no one will find out about this...abomination."

Temari's bark of laughter rings throughout the kitchen and the only thought Kankuro has was that this was going to be the first and last time he hears Gaara laugh. Then just as quickly, it is gone as Temari starts to play the role of their little brother. Kankuro would have laughed if the real Gaara not been present.

"See ya," she says abruptly, standing up and sulking out of the kitchen.

"I'll come by the office later," Kankuro shouts over his shoulder. "You better not have caused a war."

He only hears the door slam in response. Perfectly Gaara. This actually might work, he thinks to himself for the fist time. Finally relief sets in after some much frustration and worry. He turns around again to look at his brother. Gaara is looking down at the tabletop, sulking silently. At last he grumbles, "I don't act like that."

Kankuro smiles. He does, of course, but Gaara certainly isn't acting like his usual self this morning but it isn't his fault. Wisdom teeth are a bitch to remove.

Kankuro stands up and get a glass of water and the bottles of medicine-painkillers and antibiotics-that Sakura had brought, made by the Hokage herself to insure that Gaara has the fastest recovery possible.

Gaara takes them without a word and carefully downs them in one gulp.

The secret surgery was held early this morning and went off without a glitch much to everyone's relief and since the patient was Gaara that was saying something. Kankuro and Temari had ordered the assistance of two Konoha shinobi to help: Haruno Sakura and Rock Lee. Sakura, one of the best med nin around, performed the operation meticulously while Baki, Temari, Lee, and Kankuro stood on guard...in case anything happened. Lee is fast enough to prevent most damages Gaara's sand could have inflicted if the sand decided to attack but fortunately Lee's inhuman speed was not needed.

While Gaara recovers during the next couple of days, Temari will be be kazekage so no one would know that the real one was indisposed. That can make Suna vulnerable both inside and out. Kankuro will be home, tending to his little brother with the help of Sakura.

He had wanted to be the Kazekage but both Temari and Gaara agreed that he'd probably kill one of the elders within 10 minutes. And it was true. He would have.

"We have to change the cotton balls, too," Kankuro murmurs, none too eager.

Gaara glares at him, utterly miserable. "This is, by far, the worse day of my life."

* * *

The Kazegake's palace is silent that morning. It weirds Kankuro out but he reminds himself that sometimes silence is a good thing. Even in Suna. He checks on Gaara periodically to see if he needs anything but the poor kid is passed out on his bed, dead to the world. To ward of boredom, Kankuro cleans. First his bedroom, then the bathroom, then the kitchen, he would have organized whatever was in the basement if Rock Lee hadn't shown up.

"Good morning, Kankuro-kun," Lee brightly greets him despite the hour of day at the front door.

Kankuro winces and nods. "Come inside."

"I've brought some rasgula," Lee says, stepping over the threshold. He holds out the bag of Suna sweets to Kankuro. "Gai-sensei taught me that it's impolite to go to someone else's house without a present. Also," he pulls something out from his belt and hands it over. It's a card. "That's from Naruto."

Kankuro isn't surprised Naruto knows. He wonders faintly in the blond brat had tried to whine his way into coming to Suna along with Lee and Sakura.

"Uh...thanks."

Lee beams at him and Kankuro just stares back, blank but fairly confused. Lee starts to fidget and blush. Kankuro continues to stare. Since it was just a day off he hasn't bothered with any paint or his regular black uniform.

"How is Gaara-kun?" Lee finally asks.

"He's asleep."

From time to time Kankuro thinks that there is something going on between the odd Konoha shinobi and his little brother. But he can only speculate since Gaara is tight-lipped about any relationship. Kankuro doesn't mind. If they are friends he can only be happy for them. That is another reason he had specifically asked for Lee to come to Suna.

"Could I see him?"

"Sure." He points to the winding staircase at the other end of the hall. Even while Suna was struggling to get the funds it needed to stay alive, the former kazekage made damned sure that his home was a palace. "Upstairs. Last door on your right."

Lee blushes-Kankuro is starting to wonder if the kid is sick or something-and thanks him.

"Odd kid," Kankuro murmurs, scratching his head. There was only a number of people Kankuro fully trusts and, luckily, Lee was one of them. If anything happens he trusts Lee to handle it while he goes to check on Temari.

* * *

Kankuro's surprised and relieved when he finds Temari in Gaara's office, pouring over a pile of paperwork. All he has to do it lean against the old desk and smirk. Temari raises her eyes and glares. "Shut up."

Gaara is stoned out of his mind on foreign medicine, Temari's lust for revenge is subdued by paperwork, and the elders are completely in the dark. So far so good.

* * *

It was noon by the time Kankuro get back to the palace. He wonders if Gaara is hungry. The palace is still a quiet as before so Gaara must still be asleep but Kankuro heads to the kitchen anyway. He isn't a great cook but soup is easy enough to handle. He puts Gaara's lunch on a tray along with a small cup of his favorite strawberry sorbet and the bottle of pills.

Kankuro doesn't bother knocking and opens the door with a chakra string. He steps inside quietly.

It is dark and cool inside. The shutters have been shut and the curtains drawn over the windows to block out the sun's vicious light and heat. He can hear the air conditioner purring in the corner. There is a still bundle on the bed that Kankuro assumes is Gaara and walks across the room towards the bed. The bundle gets larger with an extra pair of legs and arms and a head as well as he draws closer.

Well, Kankuro muses silently, who would have thought?

Lee and Gaara are sleeping on their sides, pressed so closely together that Kankuro is fairly amazed at they can even breathe.

God, they are cuter than kittens.

But at least now he knows the answer to a whole lot of questions. Males friends don't usually cuddle like that.

Kankuro puts the tray of food down on the nightstand and carefully reaches over to tap Gaara's shoulder. "Hey," he whispers softly, loud enough to wake him but not loud enough to startle him, "wake up."

It takes a second to rouse his brother but eventually Gaara opens his hazy green eyes. When he see Kankuro, he murmurs softly, his voice sleep heavy and a little slurred, "I was dreaming of a tiger."

"Okay." The drugs are definitely working. "Was it a nice tiger?"

Gaara frowns as he struggles to sit up in a sleepy stupor. "No. It wanted to bite my face off." Other than that there are no explanation as too why Lee was asleep in his bed. He is totally indifferent to the fact that Lee still has an arm around his waist.

"Thought you might be hungry," Kankuro says. If Gaara isn't going to make a big deal about this, then neither is he. He puts the tray on Gaara lap and grabs the small trashcan nearby so Gaara can spit out the cotton balls.

Kankuro looks over at Lee as Gaara starts to eat. He hasn't budged a bit. "Is he even alive?"

Gaara nods. "He's a heavy sleeper. See?" He flicks the dark-haired shinobi on the nose but Lee only reacts like Gaara is some pesky fly and lazily swats him away. Kankuro can't believe when he here's Gaara's soft chuckle. "Nothing."

"All right." He pulls out a couple of pills and sets the right amount on the bedside table. "If he needs anything, the kitchen's open."

The End


End file.
